CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN: Shutting the Door
IT TOOK ANOTHER FOUR DAYS TO GET BACK TO BIRMINGHAM, BUT THEY WENT BY QUICKLY.
Curly and Thomas taught Tabitha how to drive the boat, which was interesting indeed. She finally got the hang of it and drove most of the way the third day back. Other than that, she was either on the deck helping out with dinner or in the lower deck with Thomas.
They made it back to Small Heath the day before Polly's birthday and the night of the Garrison's reopening. For Polly's present, Thomas bought her a lavish after buying and her son Karl one. The reason behind buying Polly's house was touching, and it made both Polly and Tabitha cry happy tears. Thomas bought the house because he planned on being Polly's son and daughter home to live with her there. Tabitha was proud of Thomas, knowing underneath that cold exterior, he loved his family and his wife.
Tabitha helped Thomas with the search for Polly's children the next couple days until they found them. Polly's son was in the country under the name Henry Johnson with adoptive parents. Her daughter, well...
When Tabitha and Thomas found out where Polly's son was living, they went out into the country, just the two of them. They made a day of it before going too the Johnson residence. Thomas had packed a picnic for lunch, and him and Tabitha laid on a blanket in a heads field alone together. After that, they packed up and drove to the Johnson residence with Thomas' right hand resting Tabitha's thigh.
"That was a lovely picnic," Tabitha smiled. "It's nice to be out in the country once in awhile, away from the family and the business. Just the two of us."
"And able to get full privacy," Thomas said smirking. "Would've been nice to let me finish what we started in that field."
"I was not going having sex in a field, Tommy. Besides, we have a job to do."
"Why not? Remember the night in Charlie's stable where we decided to roleplay an innocent stable boy and a posh girl?"
Tabitha laughed aloud, remembering that night well. "That was an experiment Esme challenged me to do."
"Well, that experiment was a great success." Thomas continued smirking, enjoying the blush on his wife's cheeks. "You have a piece of grass in your hair, by the way."
Tabitha pulled a piece of a lily flower out of her hair, chuckling from her and Thomas rolling around in the grass. They continued their stroll after she playfully nudged his shoulder.
"I think it's really sweet what you're doing this for Polly," Tabitha said. "Finding her kids and bringing them back home to make her happy. I didn't even have to tell you to do it."
"It's the right thing to do. Even though we can't bring Anna home, we can still do it for Michael," Thomas said, stomping his cigarette out.
Thomas took his hand off Tabitha's thigh as a pair of fences on each side of them, putting the car in park. They got out of the car and casually approached a house where two boys were playing ball with an older woman ushering them inside for lunch. The woman saw Thomas and Tabitha approached, backs straight with stoic expressions.
"Mrs Johnson?" Thomas asked.
"Yes," the woman answered. "Who are you?"
"We're from Birmingham Council, Bordesley parish." He lied completely.
"No one wrote to me. What d'you want?"
"We would like to to talk about your son, about Henry," Tabitha replied. "Ma'am, can we come in?" Tabitha asked.
"Oh, I'd rather you didn't, he doesn't like to talk about this," Mrs Johnson stated nervously.
"Alright."
"So what does Henry know about his real identity, Mrs Johnson?" Thomas asked.
"Why are you here in person?"
"Well, the boy is approaching his 18th birthday."
"This isn't right," Mrs Johnson said, shaking her head. "Neither of you are from the council, something isn't right."
"What does he know, Mrs Johnson?" Tabitha questioned.
The woman began to panic. "He knows his mother couldn't cope. She drank too much, she used opium. She used to beat him."
"But that isn't the truth, is it?" Thomas questioned, raising a brow.
"Look, I think you both should come back when my husband's here," Mrs Johnson said, going to walk inside.
"Does he know what his real name is?" Thomas continued to push.
"His real name is Johnson, Henry Johnson, now I would you to go away and come back when my husband's here."
That's when a teenage boy came walking from the boy with short, honey blonde hair from the house. Mrs Johnson was even more panicked.
"The truth is, he was taken from his mother without her permission-" Thomas still pushed.
"Henry, go back inside, please," Mrs Johnson told the boy.
"Who are you?" The boy asked Thomas and Tabitha.
"Please, Henry, go on!"
"Your real name is Michael Gray," Thomas told him as the woman started yelling at him and Tabitha. "Your mother wants to see you. Her address is on the back of his card. She just wants to talk."
Thomas went to hand the boy the card but Mrs Johnson slapped it on the ground, yelling at Thomas.
"Go away!" She yelled, growing upset.
"She just wants to talk-"
"Go away and leave us alone!" She cut off Tabitha. "Go away!"
So Thomas and Tabitha did just that.
___________________________
TABITHA AND THOMAS HAD GONE HOME TO THE BETTING SHOP, AND MET WITH TRAGIC NEWS.
Arthur had been in the ring practicing fighting with a younger lad. He lost control, and beat the boy to the ground until he stopped breathing. They pulled Arthur away, but it was too late. The boy was dead, and Arthur was freaking out.
Thomas went to go cover up the fact that his elder brother murdered a teenage boy, while Tabitha waited in Thomas' office quietly with Finn and Isaiah until he got back to ask them what happened. The boys looked at the ground, unable to forget what had happened as Tabitha leaned against the wall with her arms crossed.
"We didn't know he was going to do that, Tabby," Finn said.
"I know," Tabitha frowned. "Tommy will be here soon, wait for him so you can talk."
A couple seconds later, Thomas walked into his eyes, meeting Tabitha's being the first thing he does. The next thing he does is lean on the wall beside her, giving off a pissed expression.
"All right, what happened?" Thomas asked Finn and Isaiah cooly.
"It was a fair fight," Finn stated, looking back and forth between Thomas and Tabitha.
"Yeah, Arthur just caught him with a good one," Isaiah said.
"I saw the body," Thomas said, leaning off the wall and towards the boys. Tabitha knew he was pissed. "Don't fucking lie to me. I saw the body. What fucking happened?"
"I'm not family, I'm saying nothing," Isaiah replied.
"Arthur...he's blown a few times lately," Finn started sadly, shaking his head. "Six, seven. It's like he's not there in the head. He can't even hear stop. Even his own name. And then he cries."
Thomas stayed silent, and then he shortly nodded. "Right, listen to me. That's two fucking stories. Your brother killed a boy. There were witnesses, there will be questions, get your stories straight, it was an accident. Fuck off."
Finn and Isaiah left, leaving Thomas pacing around his office as Tabitha moved off the wall.
"Are you going to talk to Arthur?" Tabitha asked. "You need to talk to him, Tommy."
"I do," Thomas replied after being deep in thought. "This has gone on long enough."
Arthur was in the Shelby living room all alone, sitting by the fireplace when Thomas and Tabitha walked in. His eyes were watering, filled with the guilt of killing that young boy, not even looking at his brother or sister in-law.
"I spoke to the doctor. He said the kid probably had a weak heart," Thomas said. "We'll look after his mother. It'll be fine."
"Polly and Tabby said I should have stuck with the medicine. I said that you know best," Arthur said, making Tabitha glare at Thomas.
"Me and Polly were right about that," Tabitha said proudly.
"It's like a fucking boat, Tommy. Full of heavy cargo, like coal or iron. Sometimes it slips to one end. And the boat tips. I can feel it slipping. And I can feel the boat tipping. But there ain't nothing I can do about it. It's like me fucking head's just like this fucking big fucking barge. And it just fucking drifts in and out, in and out."
The more he spoke, the more angry he got, causing Tabitha to grab a hold of her brother in-laws hands.
"We've been home a long time now, Arthur. Been home a long time," Thomas stated, looking away from them both and out the window. "I thought you were alright."
"Yeah, well...I-I don't think I am, Tommy. Take this fucking away." Arthur gritted his teeth, struggling pulling his gun out and then threw it on the table.
"Just fuck off, Arthur," Thomas replied, and Tabitha turned to her husband with anger in her eyes. "You know what? I've had enough. I've had fucking enough." Thomas turned around and walked towards the two. He leaned down to Arthur. "Just fuck off."
"What?" Arthur asked, whispering in confusion.
Tabitha didn't know why Thomas was acting like that.
"Tommy..." She whispered.
"Supposed to treat you like a fucking kid again, eh? Keep you away from guns and fucking rope? Is that it? You think I haven't got enough on?!"
"Stop it," Arthur said.
"Tommy, stop," Tabitha raised her voice.
"Arthur, you think I haven't gotten enough on?!"
"Stop it."
"Thomas!" Tabitha yelled.
"The war is done! Shut the door on it!" Thomas yelled at his brother.
"Like you do?"
"Can you do that?"
"Yeah?"
"Like I fucking did. Shut the fucking door."
"I'm not fucking you, eh!"
Arthur launched from the chair and out his hands around Thomas' throat, pinning him to the fireplace. Tabitha began yelling at them both to stop.
"I'm not fucking you! Everyone fucking knows it!" Arthur screamed grabbing fists of Thomas' coat. "God!"
"Look at yourself. Look at yourself. Take a long, hard, fucking look at yourself," Thomas said, grabbing him by his shoulders, making Arthur look in the mirror.
He gripped his neck tightly and then Arthur began sobbing. Thomas let him go, not caring at all as he keeled at the chair. Tabitha was mad as hell, and backhanded Thomas' right cheek so hard he stumbled back on the fireplace.
"That didn't help him at all, Thomas! God, you're a fucking asshole sometimes!" Tabitha yelled. "Get the fuck out! Now!"
Thomas composed himself, not use to being yelled at by his wife. She kneeled at Arthur's side and threw her arms around him in comfort while Thomas unloaded Arthur's gun and threw a bottle of rum into the fireplace. Thomas then walked out, slamming the door as Arthur sobbed into his sister in-law's shoulder.
Honestly, watching the show, in my opinion, I don't think Grace or May or Lizzie are good for Tommy. Here's why. I don't think Tommy shouldn't be with Grace or May should be with him. I don't think rich ladies would really understand the Peaky Blinders and their business. As for Lizzie, I just don't really like her. Not because she gets with Tommy, just because I don't like her character.
I think a girl with the same background as Tommy would work so much better and be less annoying. They should've made a female Peaky Blinder/childhood friend of Tommy's or have her come from a small gypsy family instead of putting him with Grace and Lizzie. Maybe someone like our girl Tabitha would be perfect...